Her Renegade Rancher EPB

by Jennifer Ryan

  “What’s that?”

  “Life is short. There’s no time to waste. I need to stop waiting for things to happen. I need to make them happen. Like deciding if taking the teaching position for this coming September is better than being a waitress and waiting for something that may never come and wasting the education I worked so hard to earn.”

  “You’d really leave, move away?”

  “I don’t want to. I love living here. It’s close to my family. Still, I need to stop getting through each day, hoping the things I want in my life will just happen.”

  “What about Colt?”

  “I like him. A lot. I’d like to get to know him better and see if there’s something there. But he hasn’t even asked me out. Besides, even if he does, I can’t build my life around him when I want so much more.”

  “What if he does ask you out and you two really have something?”

  “I’d have to think about it then, but right now, my priority is figuring out what I really want and if staying here is actually holding me back.”

  Chapter 6

  Simon arrived at his father’s ranch late, judging by the fact that his brother and aunt and uncle arrived before him. He didn’t recognize the man on the front steps. Josh was yelling, flapping his arms in the air, unable to stand still and speak reasonably with whoever blocked them from going into the house.

  Simon got out of the car and walked toward the group. His aunt’s face and eyes filled with haughty indignation as she stood in her black designer pantsuit, a bloodred handbag over her bent arm. His uncle kept his hands clamped on her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

  “You can’t fucking keep me out of my father’s home,” Josh spat out, taking a menacing step closer to the man dressed in a business suit. He stood his ground, briefcase in hand, power tie perfectly straight.

  “I’m following your father’s wishes. No one is allowed inside until the reading of the will tomorrow at eleven.”

  “Let’s get it done now,” Aunt Bea demanded.

  “My instructions are clear. It’s to be read directly after the funeral.”

  “Bullshit,” Josh bit out. “What difference does it make?”

  “All parties must be present at the reading. I’ve been unable to contact one of the people named in the will at this time.”

  “Let me guess, you’re trying to reach that fucking waitress,” Josh guessed.

  Aunt Bea pointed her perfectly manicured, red-tipped index finger at the man. “You leave her out of this. She gets nothing.”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but Mr. Travers’s will is specific. His wishes will be carried out to the letter.”

  Simon stepped in before Josh wound up again for another round of useless swearing and ranting. “Um, is it true the other person is Luna?”

  Simon’s gut tightened, knowing the truth and dreading what it meant and what needed to be done.

  Josh would freak out.

  Aunt Bea certainly didn’t want Luna to get a dime.

  The bulk of the estate would be split between Simon and Josh. Aunt Bea probably got a little something. She used to pester Wayne all the time for money. Most of the time he gave in, probably just to shut the woman up. Of course, he did the same with Simon and Josh.

  Luna was a wild card. Simon didn’t believe she’d been sleeping with his father. Not when she showed up with the Kendrick cowboy last night at the hospital. Why sleep with his old man when she had someone her own age? Unless she really was out to get his father’s money. Maybe the two of them were in on the scam together.

  Simon remembered Rory Kendrick as an intense, duty-bound guy who skipped out on fun for working his family’s ranch. The exact opposite of the life Simon wanted. Colt seemed to take after his big brother, but maybe he just wanted an easy score and was using Luna to get it.

  “You’ll know everything tomorrow,” the lawyer stated, not giving an inch. “Until then, no one goes into the house. Nothing is to be taken from the property. No one is to interfere in the ranch operations. If you do, I’ll contact the authorities and have you arrested for trespassing.” The lawyer held up his hand before Josh went off again. “Please, don’t make me do that. It’s just one day. Give yourself time to grieve. We’ll lay Wayne to rest and sort out the rest tomorrow.”

  Josh waved off the lawyer, glared, and stalked off to his car.

  Aunt Bea let out a frustrated huff, held her head high, spun on her high heels, and walked off to her car, Uncle Harry following along like her lapdog.

  Simon had a feeling nothing would be sorted out tomorrow and they’d all be mired in some kind of muck, battling over the ranch, money, and everything else his father left behind. No one would be satisfied, because they each wanted it all.

  Chapter 7

  Colt screwed in the lightbulb and replaced the glass cover on the new outdoor motion-sensor light he’d bought and installed outside Luna’s door. The thought of her coming home at night to a dark house tightened his gut with dread. What if she tripped on the slippery stairs in winter? What if some nutcase hid in the shadows and jumped her?

  With a shake of his head, he dismissed the crazy, irrational thoughts that brought him here today. She’d likely call him out for overstepping, doing things for her he had no right to do. If he hurried and cleaned up, he could be out of here before she got home. He didn’t though, because he wanted to see her. He thought about her a lot today. He wondered how she was doing. If her grief still fogged her every thought or slowly receded as time passed and she settled into her daily life once again. Would the memory of last night spring forth every time she walked into the diner to work? He hoped not.

  She needed time.

  Maybe he should take some, too, to think about what he was doing here and why he’d come.

  Luna’s Jeep pulled into the drive with a brand-new windshield. A white pickup drove past his truck parked on the street. The guy driving slowed and stared at Luna as she got out of the car. Colt couldn’t make out the dark figure, but he sure as hell didn’t like the way the truck sped up abruptly and raced away.

  Luna pulled her purse and two grocery bags from her Jeep. Ah, the reason she arrived home later than he’d anticipated.

  The bright smile on her lips lit up his chest with a warmth that spread through him—and almost dimmed his concern about the brick through her windshield and the creepy drive-by moments ago.

  “Hey,” she called, making her way across the gravel drive to the steps.

  “Hi.” He bent and gathered up his tools, dumping them in the toolbox he kept in his truck. He picked up the discarded rubbish from the light and stuffed it into the box.

  “What are you doing here?” Her words came out hesitant and unsure. He didn’t like that one bit.

  “Fixed your light. Can’t have you coming home in the dark all the time.”

  She stopped on the stairs halfway up. He closed the lid on the toolbox, stood, and stared down at her, noting the surprise in her eyes. He thought about his words and what they revealed. Couldn’t take them back. Didn’t want to really, so he let it go.

  “What’s in the bags?”

  “Mostly dinner. Some other stuff for the week.” She walked up the rest of the steps. “Want to come in?”

  “No. What’s for dinner?”

  Luna glanced at her closed door, then him. Confusion clouded her eyes, but he didn’t explain his aversion to going into her house. If his last comment said too much, the reasons keeping him out of her house would tell her a hell of a lot more than he cared to admit right now. As it was, he barely held himself back from kissing her right here in the halo of light the new fixture cast over them as night swallowed day and the stars came to life overhead.

  Luna set the bags down by the railing, leaned over, and pulled out two bottles of beer. His favorite brand. She handed one to him. “Thanks for fixing the light.”

  He twisted the top on the beer she handed him and gave it back to her, taking the other from her, popping the top, and cl
inking the neck to her bottle. He took a deep swallow, then let out his breath and some of the tension tightening his gut. “You’re welcome.” He fished the receipt from his pocket and handed it over. “Take the amount off your rent next month and give her that in its place.”

  The receipt disappeared into her purse, but she pulled out a wad of cash. Mostly fives and ones. Tips from tonight. She counted out some bills and held them out to him.

  “I don’t want that.”

  “Like you said, I’ll take the amount off my rent.”

  “I don’t want your money, Luna. Put it away.”

  She pinched her mouth into a lopsided frown, stuffed the bills back in her purse, and shook her head. She sat on the landing, her feet on the step below, and grabbed the bag behind her, setting it in front of her. He didn’t expect a tug on his jeans, but he sat next to her when she didn’t let go until he relented. They barely fit side by side on the steps, but he didn’t make a move to give her even a little more space. His thigh pressed to hers, sending his system into overdrive. He just might overheat and do something stupid like kiss her again before he really got to know her. Before he had a chance to see if the girl he used to know, the one he couldn’t stop thinking about, was the same woman sitting beside him. Did they have something? Or was the power of that kiss nothing more than them both giving in to something they thought was forbidden?

  God, the woman was temptation times a million. The thing that really got to him, she didn’t even know it. There she went, swiping her finger across her brow, sliding those strands back and over her ear.

  Oblivious to his scrutiny, Luna set her beer next to his boot and pulled out a round plastic container and a foil package. She pulled out a plastic-wrapped fork and napkin and undid them. The scent of garlic bread made his stomach rumble. He hadn’t eaten since lunch, having missed dinner two hours ago. As night had set in, he’d wondered what he’d pick up to eat on the way home. Maybe Sadie left him a plate in the fridge, as she often did when he didn’t show up to the table on time.

  Without warning, Luna shoved a huge bite of her salad into his mouth right before he took another sip of his beer. She pulled the foil open, took out a thick slice of garlic bread, and handed it to him while he chewed. “Damn, honey, that’s good. What is that?”

  She laughed and licked her pretty lips. “I call it Southwest Cole Slaw. I made the creamy cilantro dressing from scratch and added some shredded chicken to the cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and green onions. I sprinkled some crushed tortilla chips and pumpkin seeds to finish it off. It’s one of my favorites.”

  “It’s one of mine now, too. You really made that?”

  She swallowed the bite she’d taken and cocked her head. “Yes. Is that so surprising?”

  “Nothing and everything surprises me about you.” He accepted the next bite from Luna and chewed, savoring the creamy, spicy concoction. While she ate beside him, he bit off a hunk of the garlic bread. “Man, that’s good. Fresh garlic. Just the right amount of dripping butter.”

  Luna laughed again, setting off another flutter in his belly. She offered him another bite of the salad.

  “You know, if we went inside I could put this on some plates and give you your own fork.”

  “This works.” He tipped back his beer and stared up at the stars. All the better to see them now that the motion light went off.

  “It’s a nice night,” she agreed.

  “Did someone from work follow you home tonight?”

  “No. Why would they do that?”

  “Friday night. Maybe you had a date.”

  “Only with you, apparently.”

  “This isn’t a date.” He could do a hell of a lot better than this. The salad was outstanding, the company even better. But she deserved better than a starlit dinner on the stairs. It did have an air of intimacy he enjoyed.

  “What is this?”

  “I was heading home, you offered the beer and the food to thank me for the work.”

  “Ah.” The soft smile didn’t take anything away from the eye roll. She had his number, but he didn’t give in and speak plain. He enjoyed teasing her. She didn’t seem to mind.

  “Did someone from the diner, maybe a friend, follow you home tonight?” he asked again. “A truck drove by right after you arrived.”

  She stuffed another bite into his mouth and gave him a sardonic look. “I don’t have a boyfriend if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Good to know, but not why he’d asked. Still, he appreciated her offering up the information without him having to ask.

  She bumped her shoulder into his. “Are you seeing anyone?”

  “Nope.” He took a deep pull on his beer, another bite of his garlic bread, and chewed beside her like he didn’t have a care in the world. Actually, every cell in his being focused on the beautiful woman beside him. She’d stopped eating and sat still as stone, then she smiled softly and took another bite of the salad.

  “What are we doing, then?”

  He thought about it for a second and settled on the basics of what he wanted, why he’d come. “Working on being friends.”

  “So, you want to be my friend?”

  “We are friends. Ones who have lost track of each other, so to speak.”

  Her head tilted. “A fresh start, then.”

  He tipped his beer and clinked hers. “Exactly.”

  “Okay. Still doesn’t explain why you won’t come into my house.”

  He laughed. “It’s nice out here. Did you and Sadie pick out an invitation?”

  “Changing the subject away from talking about us?”

  “Starting with something we have in common and working up to getting more personal.”

  “White paper embossed with roses. Silver foil lettering. Very pretty.”

  “Sweet, like Sadie.”

  “I think I upset her before I left.”

  He’d avoided looking right at her while they ate. Too tempting to lean in and kiss her when they sat so close, their bodies pressed together, but not close enough. But he didn’t like hearing she’d upset Sadie. “What happened?”

  “We talked about Wayne and how his death made me think time is short.”

  He reached over, placed his hand on her opposite shoulder, and pulled her close in a soft hug. “I know you miss him, honey.”

  Her head pressed to his shoulder for a second, then she sat straight again. He released her, picked up his beer, and drained the rest.

  “I want so much for my life, but I’m stuck here.”

  Colt stared straight ahead, not knowing what to do about the growing unease and sense of loss spreading through his system. “So, what, you’re leaving?”

  “I don’t know. I received a job offer out of state. I can’t find one here doing what I love. I’m stuck as a waitress, which pays crap. Look where I live and how. I’m barely getting by. My family is hours away. I have no—”

  He hoped the word she cut off was “boyfriend.” He’d like to think she wanted that to be him, but how could that happen if she left town?

  “How long until you have to decide for sure?”

  “A week. But the job doesn’t start until September.”

  What kind of asshole was he that he hoped she didn’t take this opportunity? He wanted time to get to know her. Not as his buddy’s girlfriend but as a woman he liked and wanted to get to know better. A woman he didn’t want to walk out of his life for good.

  “I’m still on the fence about whether I want to leave at all.”

  “Really?” The band around his chest loosened at that bit of news.

  “My family and friends are here. I wouldn’t know anyone. I mean, it would be a great adventure, but what if I hated living in a city? How do I know that what I really want is out there, and not right here?”

  “I guess you have to decide what will make you happy.”

  “Well, I haven’t found it yet.”

  The admission made him think about what he wanted for his future. Sure, he
loved working on the ranch with his brothers, but things were changing. Rory would marry Sadie soon. They’d want their privacy. A chance to live as husband and wife without two brothers around all the time. Once the baby arrived, they’d want to live in the house as a family. Hell, where would they put the kid, with him and Ford living in the other upstairs rooms and Granddad below?

  He’d been thinking about getting his own place, but he didn’t quite have the money to buy a house on a decent-size piece of land. He definitely didn’t want to live in town. He’d heard whispers between Rory and Sadie about Ford taking over her property. The little green monster inside him peeked its head out but ducked back into its cave, because deep down, Colt agreed Ford deserved a shot at starting his own ranch. As the youngest brother, Colt was used to his big brothers getting what they wanted first. Didn’t mean he liked it, but he got it. He planned to build a place of his own, work with horses, live on the land he loved with a family.

  Whoa. Wait. Did he really just add in a family to what he wanted? Yep. Grandad and Rory had planted the seed. Well, he didn’t have the means to water it, so he tucked it under the dirt in his mind to hibernate along with his green monster.

  “I lost you, Colt. What are you thinking about?”

  “Rory and Sadie.”

  She sighed and stared up at the stars. “Have you ever seen two people more in love?”

  “No.” An image of Luna with Billy came to mind, but they looked nothing like the happy couple Rory and Sadie made. He searched his memory for one moment where he’d seen the light shine in Luna the way it did in Sadie when she looked at Rory.

  “Were you happy with Billy?” He couldn’t believe he’d blurted those words out. Idiot.

  “No.” She said it just like that. No hesitation.

  “I thought you two really had something.”

  “The illusion of a happy couple can’t last. It breaks you down, wears you down until you don’t look or feel like the person you used to be. You put so much of your time into pretending to be happy that you convince yourself you are, until one day you see someone smile and it comes from the inside out. You want to smile with them and feel even an ounce of the happiness you see in them because then you’ll finally feel something real.”